Oral History Collection

To listen to an interview, click on the interview clip number.

Marie Crawford
Interview Clips: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
© Multicultural History Society of Ontario
Scottish Collection

Descendants arrived in 1851.

Mrs. Crawford begins the interview with the story of her father's journey to and settlement in Canada. In 1851, Mrs. Crawford's grandparents and her father, then five years old, sailed from Fort William in the Scottish Highlands to Canada on board a sailboat called "The Blanche." They had been evicted from their home on the Isle of Lewis, when the land was sold for a deer park. The boat passage was free, but they needed a certain amount of money and provisions to last them the six-week journey. Mrs. Crawford's grandfather had been a soldier in Scotland, and was from Tolstoi Head. He bought 100 acres of Crown Land in Ripley for five pounds sterling and obtained a grant for clearing and building. He financed the building of the first log houses, churches, and schools. Mrs. Crawford talks about the music and poetry of their community, the language difficulties and educational values.

Maria and Imre Toth
Interview Clip: [1]
© Multicultural History Society of Ontario
Hungarian Collection

Arrived c. 1957

Mr. and Mrs. Toth participated in this joint interview. They discuss their experience of leaving Hungary during the Revolution in 1956-57. They discuss their lives in Hungary before the Revolution, including their experiences of World War II and Russian occupation. After the Revolution broke out, Mr. and Mrs. Toth decided to leave because they felt there was no future for them in Hungary. They escaped into Austria and a Red Cross camp, where they were given the choice of emigrating to the United States, Australia, Switzerland, or Canada. They chose Canada because Mrs. Toth had a sister living there already. Mrs. Toth reflects on her first experiences of Canada, which were overwhelmingly positive. The Toths worked for a while on farms near Tillsonburg, before moving to Toronto. Mr. Toth worked as a mechanic and Mrs. Toth worked at a bookstore. They talk about how the Revolution of 1956 changed their lives, and how they feel about Canada today.

Ky Anh - Short Interview Clip for Oral History Listening Activity (2:51)
Interview Clip: [1]
© Multicultural History Society of Ontario
Vietnamese Collection

Arrived c. 1970s/80s

This is the first 2 minutes 51 seconds of the full interview available below. In this short clip, Mr. Anh describes the challenges he faced upon arrival in Canada. He also discusses the assistance he received as well as how he feels about Canada today.

Ky Anh - Full Interview (39:21)
Interview Clips: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
© Multicultural History Society of Ontario
Vietnamese Collection

Arrived c. 1970s/80s

Mr. Anh came to Canada in the 1970s by boat when he was 16 years old. He arrived in Granby, Quebec, and describes the challenges he faced upon first arriving in Canada. Mr. Anh's family was still in Vietnam at this time. Mr. Anh moved to Toronto and went back to school. Within a few years, Mr. Anh's father and two brothers joined him in Canada. They then sponsored his mother and sister who came in 1985. Ky Anh describes his feeling of gratitude towards Canada, for welcoming him into the country.

Bojin Mergelas
Interview One Clips: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Interview Two Clips: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
© Multicultural History Society of Ontario
Greek (Macedonian) Collection

Arrived 1914

Bojin Mergelas was born in the rural village of Zhelevo in Aegean Greece, in 1900. (The town was later renamed Antarikon, by the Greeks, in 1926.) When he was 14 years old, he left with eight other men from his village and came to Canada with the goal of earning money. Mr. Mergelas lived in a boarding house on Niagara Street in Toronto with other Greek/Macedonian immigrant men. After some initial difficulties, he eventually secured work in an abattoir. He discusses life in the boarding house and his experiences settling in Toronto. On the second tape, he talks about the process of immigration, the Greek community in Toronto in the early 20th century, "Greeks" versus "Macedonians," and community organizations.

Arrived 1952

Fortunato "Lucky" Rao emigrated from Calabria, in southern Italy, to Canada in 1952. He discusses growing up in war-time Italy, and the hardships that he and his family faced, including his father's death shortly after the end of World War II. He moved to Canada in order to better support his family. He worked various construction and factory jobs and was eventually able to sponsor his family to come and join him in Canada. Mr. Rao became involved in the union movement, the United Steelworkers, NDP, and became an advocate for the under-privileged.